Muzafer Sherif

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Muzafer Sherif bigraphy, stories - Turkish psychologist

Muzafer Sherif : biography

July 29, 1906 – October 16, 1988

Muzafer Sharif (born Muzaffer Şerif Başoğlu; July 29, 1906, in Ödemiş, İzmir, Turkey – October 16, 1988, in Fairbanks, Alaska) was one of the founders of social psychology. He helped develop social judgment theory and realistic conflict theory.

Realistic Conflict Theory

A famous theory today, the Realistic Conflict Theory, was developed by Sherif in 1961, which "accounts for inner group conflict, negative prejudices, and stereotypes as a result of actual competition between groups for desired resources". And this theory validated by one his most famous experiments, "The Robber’s Cave (Cialdini, Kenrick, Neuberg,1999)."

In the experiment, "22 white, fifth grade, 11 year old boys with average-to- good school performance and above average intelligence with a protestant, two parent background were sent to a special remote summer camp in Oklahoma, Robbers Cave State Park." The purpose to send them to the remoteness is to ensured the study will not be influenced by external factors,so that the true nature of conflict and prejudice would be studied. Boys did not know each other before. Then researchers divided them into two different groups and each one were assigned cabins far from one another. During the first phase, groups did not know the existence of the others. "The boys developed an attachment to their groups throughout the first week of the camp by doing various activities together; hiking, swimming, etc. The boys chose names for their groups, The Eagles and The Rattlers, and stenciled them onto shirts and flags (Baron, Byrne 1997; Cialdini, Kenrick, Neuberg,1999 )."

Then researchers set up a four day competitions between those groups with promised prizes to the winners. As long as the competition continued, prejudice began to become apparent between the two groups. The prejudice was only verbally expressed, such as through taunting or name calling; However as the competition in progress, expressions became more directly: "The Eagles burned the The Rattler’s flag; The Ratler’s ransacked The Eagle’s cabin, overturned beds, and stole private property." The groups became too aggressive with each other to control that the researchers had to separate them physically (Baron, Byrne 1997; Cialdini, Kenrick, Neuberg,1999).

Researchers then gave all boys a two day cooling-off period, and asked them to list characteristics of the two groups. Each of group tended to make higher evaluations for their own group, and characterized the other group in extremely unfavorable terms. "Sherif then attempted to reduce the prejudice between the two groups. Simply by increasing the contact of the two groups only made the situation worse. Forcing the groups to work together to reach subordinate goals, or common goals, eased the prejudice and tension among the groups (Baron, Byrne 1997; Cialdini, Kenrick, Neuberg,1999)."

This experiment confirmed Sherif’s realistic conflict theory.

http://www.muskingum.edu/~psych/psycweb/history/sherif.htm

Contributions

Sherif has written more than 60 articles and 24 books and the majority of this research was done with his wife.http://www.muskingum.edu/~psych/psycweb/history/sherif.htm Sherif has made important contributions to social psychological theory, to field and laboratory methodology, and to the application of research to social issues.

Category:1906 births Category:1988 deaths Category:Psychologists Category:Social psychology Category:Turkish psychologists Category:Turkish emigrants to the United States Category:Columbia University alumni

Main Experiments

His dissertation was titled "Some Social Factors In Perception" and the ideas and research were the basis for his first classic book "The Psychology of Social Norms."

The topic of his dissertation was social influence in perception, and the experiments have come to be known as the "autokinetic effect" experiments. Sherif’s experimental study of autokinetic movement demonstrated how mental evaluation norms were created by human beings. In an otherwise totally dark room, a small dot of light is shown on a wall, and after a few moments, the dot appears to move. This effect is entirely inside-the-head, and results from the complete lack of "frame of reference" for the movement. Three participants enter the dark room, and watch the light. It appears to move, and the participants are asked to estimate how far the dot of light moves. These estimates are made out loud, and with repeated trials, each group of three converges on an estimate. Some groups converged on a high estimate, some low, and some in-between. The critical finding is that groups found their own level, their own "social norm" of perception. This occurred naturally, without discussion or prompting.